A Winner is You! Roronoa Zoro!
by Khellan Rafe
Summary: Entry for tournament, "A Winner is You!" Hosted by avatarjk137.
1. Introducing Roronoa Zoro

_Where the hell is he? _Thought one green-haired swordsman, as he scanned the seemingly endless halls of this gigantic building. All the swordsman knew was that his captain had launched himself over here while he'd been napping to participate in some ridiculous tournament. So while the rest of the crew was off gallivanting around and blowing whatever money they had saved since Water 7, he was forced into searching for their captain. Grumbling to himself, he veered right to check one of the many directories the mall contained. He immediately face-vaulted as he realized he was back where he'd started.

"How the hell did I make a circle!? This damn place is so big I shouldn't be able to! (#!" As Zoro continued to make a scene, he was interrupted by a big, brown, and oddly smelling hand on his shoulder.

Smiling disarmingly as the swordsman turned, Death by Chocolate spoke knowingly, "Do you perhaps need a guide through this copiously spacious shopping center?"

Trying not to show his surprise, disgust, or fear of this chocolate being, he settled on showing a bit of his annoyance and frustration in the form of a tic in his left eye. Shrugging the demon's hand from his shoulder, he replied with a grunt, then a full-fledged sentence, "Yeah, I guess so. Who're you, exactly?"

Smiling even wider than before, DbC introduced himself the only way he knew how: with a touch of modesty and a lot of self-embellishment. "Why, I am Death by Chocolate, the officiator of the tournament currently taking place in this, El Centro De El Mundo. It is the crowning achievement of several horrendously rich, and altogether slimy corporate fat-heads. The tournament, however, is my beautiful little brainchild. It boasts contestants from–" Before the chocolate demon could go on, however, the swordsman and first mate of the Mugiwara no Kaizoku interrupted.

"That's great, but I don't care. I'm here to find my captain so we can easily grab him and be gone after the tournament is over. Where is Monkey D. Luffy?" Zoro was looking at DbC with an intensely bored expression, something the chocolate lover and liver was not used to. Therefore, his next small speech was somewhat... contrary.

Frowning slightly, the demon replied, "I am not aware of the exact location of your captain. However, I do know a way for you to inevitably find him." There was a distinctly manic gleam in DbC's eye by the end of his sentence, one that went completely unnoticed by the marimo.

Raising an eyebrow, he simply said, "Uh-huh?"

"You shall enter the tournament. We've actually had a few dropouts, unfortunately, so you will be taking the place of one of them. That way you're sure to find your captain eventually." _Even with your obviously horrible sense of direction._ The demon added this last to himself, smirking evilly.

For his part, Zoro seemed unmoved by the chocolate king's words, and said simply, "No. I'll find him on my own." Turning to leave, DbC's next sentence froze him solid.

"Even if you could be fighting the strongest people alive?" DbC had taken a gamble with that one, and was delighted to see it had payed off. Meatheads... all the same.

Turning back to the demon, Roronoa Zoro grinned sadistically and let some of his bloodlust reach his eyes. Freeing his swords in their sheaths, asked, "When do I start?"


	2. Round 2

One of El Centro Del Mundo's food courts was completely silent, save for the grunting and slurping of one man as he devoured a table full of food and grog. The rest of the patrons were sitting in stunned silence as Roronoa Zoro ate his fill. Slamming the last pitcher of booze down to the table, he let out an enormous belch while standing up and securing his swords. Looking around, puzzlement quickly turned to annoyance. "What? What are you all looking at?"

The customers, now not so hungry, made themselves scarce in a hurry. Barely minutes later the food court was once again full, with people who hadn't been witness to the grotesque display. Zoro was long gone by then, however, trying to find both his captain and the first of his victims in this tournament. Someone by the name of Leroy. _Weird name, ya ask me._ Zoro was thinking, at the exact moment he was bulldozed from behind and sent flying across the second story and into a massive J C Penny's.

Quickly standing with an enraged snarl, Zoro swept the area with a piercing gaze so quickly he may have gotten whiplash (if he didn't already have it). "Who the hell has a death wish!? Get your ass out here you cowardly little—" The swordsman could get nothing else out, however, as a couch from the furniture section crashed into his right side. As he rose a second time, he caught a red flash of fur about two feet off the ground head into the women's section.

Tying off his headband, Zoro walked calmly towards that section of the store. His katana came out one, two, three, and he stood right in the middle of the bra and panties aisle. Talking through the sword clenched in his teeth, the mugiwara no kaizoku said, "Get the hell out here. I don't want to play these stupid games." In response, several chairs and a table are hurled at the swordsman from different directions almost simultaneously.

Entering one of his trademark stances, he muttered, "Santouryu," tightening his muscles, he yelled, "Tatsumaki!" Spinning rapidly, the violent slashes of his three swords turned the wooden furniture into kindling. Standing tall again, the Straw Hat's first mate addressed the store at large, "Come out, damn it! This is getting us nowhere."

After a moment, a strange creature revealed itself. Even for one who had sailed the Grand Line for such a time as Zoro was taken aback by the appearance of this four armed, three foot fur ball. It was red, like he thought, with a koala-like face and furry body. It's most unusual feature were the three spines coming from it's back like spears ready to impale the swordsman. Clutched in two of its paws were some sort of guns, though Zoro couldn't recognize their make.

Not interested in over thinking his opponent, Roronoa rushed him head on, causing the little fur ball to jump and move with amazing agility to avoid his sword strokes. After a particularly vicious right-down, left-diagonal and then a final horizontal slash, Leroy received his first wound. A shallow cut on his chest, slowly leaking blood, caused him to retreat briefly and reassess this new threat. "Well, you obviously have great skill with those swords. I wonder what would happen if I were to even the playing field."

Momentarily shocked that this strange being could speak, Zoro didn't move fast enough to avoid the three plasma bolts fired in rapid succession from Leroy's left handed gun. Fortunately for the swordsman, these shots were aimed solely at his blades, which all went flying behind and the sides. Further stunned, he was likewise unprepared for the sudden movement of the creature as it decked him hard across the face. After a short flight, the taller fighter crash landed in the lace section of the panty aisle.

Quickly recovering his bearings and rolling away from the experiments newest onslaught, Zoro made a dash for one of his swords, Wado Ichimonji. The indestructible blade in his hands again, the swordsman easily parried and countered Leroy's double back fist. When the creature moved back to gain some distance again, glancing briefly at the two new cuts on its right arms, Zoro removed the underwear that had been clinging to his face, "This is really more Sanji's thing…"

Then the battle was on again, the two warriors clashing again, Zoro trying to land a decisive blow on the small, fleet-footed creature while Leroy simultaneously tried dodging and attacking. After a minute or so of this, the experiment saw it was going nowhere and took his first opening to fire a double shot of plasma into Zoro's abdomen. He was sent flying back, clutching his now-burned stomach in obvious pain. Leroy moved in to finish him, but Zoro again rolled to the side, this time coming up with not only his white katana but Sandai Kitetsu as well.

Leroy warily circled his wounded prey, not knowing that waiting simply gave Zoro more time to recover, to feed off his pain and turn it into the focus he thrived on as a swordsman of the highest caliber. Staring intently at Leroy, Zoro challenged him, "Try that again. Those attacks won't touch me." Leroy, perplexed, stared at the swordsman for a moment before shrugging and firing, almost lazily, two shots straight to Zoro's head and chest.

Before they were even close, however, the Pirate Hunter's two swords had slashed the air in front of him, as he yelled, "Nana-jyuuni Pound Hou!" Two blue waves of energy were launched directly into the plasma bolt's path, effectively canceling them both. Leroy was so stunned he didn't even register the man's movement as he walked to retrieve his third sword, Shuusui. Turning once again to face the creature before him, Zoro stated simply, "You can't win."

Leroy, enraged by this statement, flung his blasters aside and charged ahead, but not at Zoro. Flying past the swordsman, he exited the store they had been battling in to a conveniently located weapon shop across the hall of the second story. He came out with four swords, one clutched tightly in each of his hands. Zoro stared calmly as the little thing came hurtling back at him, slamming it's four sword repeatedly against the green haired human's. Zoro took each blow in stride, and considering the unearthly strength of this small creature, that should have been amazing enough.

After only three exchanges, in which Zoro stepped back all of three feet, he began to turn the fight backwards, pressing the attack and taking advantage of Leroy's many openings. As he did so, he spoke sternly, "You have speed," another slash to Leroy's chest, "you have strength," one to his upper left arm, "you have some natural ability," one to his lower right arm, "and finally, you have a fighter's spirit," two diagonal cuts across the body pushed the alien back several yards, "but you will not beat me!" Zoro's two handheld blades went vertical as his arms crossed and he crouched low, eyeing Leroy with an intensity he had never experienced, freezing him cold.

"Oni Giri!" Yelled the arguably strongest fighter among the Mugiwara no Kaizoku crew, as he dashed in and slashed once, twice, and a third time at Leroy. The experiment was down before he could register the hits, two to his legs and one straight down the middle of his body. Standing and sheathing his swords, Zoro found a store full of people staring at him and his former opponent, open-mouthed and pointing. Sneering at them all, he turned for the exit.

Waiting at the aisle's end was none other than the chocolaty demon who'd roped him into this in the first place, beaming, and he said, "Winner is You, Roronoa Zoro!"

Zoro just kept walking, and said over his shoulder, "I'm not impressed. Let me fight someone stronger next time."

Death By Chocolate stared after the retreating marimo, grinning evilly as he said softly, "Oh, don't worry about that."

A/N: For got to put in translations.

Santouryu: three sword style

Tatsumaki: tornado

Nana-jyuuni Pound Hou: Seventy two pound cannon

Oni Giri: demon slash


	3. Round 3

Zoro and Whist vs. Avatar Roku and Sylar

It was obvious to Sylar who the special one was of the two he would be fighting. Honestly, he thought Roku was more special, but he unfortunately had to work with the old man. For now. Looking over at his partner, the sociopathic serial killer couldn't help but wonder if this man was like Peter. But no, he could see how Roku worked; feel what gave him his power. It would be difficult to take that power for himself, but Sylar wouldn't let that stop him when the time came. He was supposed to be the most special, after all. He _knew_ that.

Roku felt his detestable partners glance in his direction, but did not acknowledge it. The Avatar could see the stain on that man's soul from the first time he'd laid eyes on him. He was definitely someone the world could do without. It was not, unfortunately, his place to make such decisions. He would defeat their opponents before this Sylar could do anything to them, however. That much was within his power, and a small mercy he would grant.

"Roku," started his partner, no longer looking in his direction, "Let me handle the one with the dog. Whist I think his name was. I want to see how he works." This last comment caught the Avatar's attention, and he looked over to see a most disturbing grin on Sylar's face.

Roku's facial expression went from indifferent to stone, and he said in his most authoritative voice, "You will not interfere. You will stay out of my way. And you will most certainly not 'see how Whist works'." Eyes locked, Roku's granite gaze holding Sylar's suddenly dangerous glare as they stood facing each other.

Sylar's mind was running away with itself, trying to figure out some way to make it seem as though their opponents killed the Avatar, allowing Sylar to advance further. Maybe gain some new powers in the process. But no, that would be near impossible. Of course, maybe a rare opportunity would present itself…

Looking back to the front, Sylar renewed his crazed grin, "Of course, Avatar. You should be more than enough for a swordsman and a veterinary telepath. Have at them." Roku knew better than to trust the man, but he resigned himself to simply being watchful during his fight. He wouldn't put it past the man at his side to incite and "accident" for his benefit.

They were suddenly confronted with green-haired man standing in their path, wearing three swords strapped to a green waistband. He also was wearing a very nondescript pair of dark green pants and boots, and a white polo shirt. They both recognized him immediately. Roronoa Zoro. A late entry to the tournament, first mate of another entrant, Monkey D. Luffy, in his mugiwara pirate crew. They saw no sign of their other opponent, Whist, but they suspected the two simply hadn't met up with each other yet.

Zoro looked over his opponents with an impassive stare. The bigger threat was Avatar Roku, in his opinion, though Sylar was no push over either. He wasn't to sure of Whist's abilities, but was assured by the other man that he could handle himself. That was good enough for Zoro. "My name is Roronoa Zoro. Take your stances." That said, he drew Wado Ichimonji, and put it in his mouth, followed by Sandai Kitetsu and Shuusui in either hand.

Sylar, puzzled, asked with some regret, "You're not going to wait for your partner?"

Zoro, remaining impassive, replied, "Oh, he's hiding somewhere. Said he was going to strike at one of you when you weren't expecting it."

Both opponents blinked once, astonished looks on their faces, both thinking, _He just gave away his own partner?_ A voice to the left of Zoro's opponents rang out as well, "What the hell, Zoro! I thought we agreed to hit 'em with a surprise attack!" Whist had peeked around the side of some bushes, an irate look on his face.

A vein bulging above his right eye, Zoro looked over at Whist and said shortly, "I told you that a true swordsman doesn't need surprise! You're the one who insisted on hiding!"

Whist was striding over to Zoro now, seemingly ignoring his two opponents, "Look, ya green haired brute; we went over this before the match! I hide, you attack, and I jump in when their guard is down! We can't compete otherwise!"

Dropping all pretense of beginning a fight, Zoro began walking over to Whist as well. "That's ridiculous! I could take them both on myself, which is what I was planning to do! But no, you had to concoct some stupid scheme and ruin my fun. Just stay outta my way!"

They had almost reached each other, and Roku and Sylar were nearly done waiting for this foolish argument to end. They both saw the sense in Whist's plan, and though Roku could see how such a professed swordsman would have a problem with it, Sylar just thought Zoro was an idiot. Who wouldn't try to take advantage of an opponent like that? It just mad sense.

"Look, the plan was real simple! You confront, I hide. You get 'em off balance, I strike! You wouldn't even have to sully your 'honorable' reputation with a surprise attack!" The two argumentative partners could see their opponents were losing patience. That was fine though, because they were almost in position. Much closer to Sylar and Roku. Amazing how a façade of dissention could put your opponents at ease.

Smirking suddenly, Zoro said easily, "Well, maybe it's time to change the plan a bit." Immediately, both men had turned, taken a couple very fast steps, and swung on Roku and Sylar. As expected, Zoro's hit took Roku down immediately, fist and sword hilt impacting the man's temple. He was out like a light. Unexpectedly, Sylar had dodged Whist's blow, leaping back in the nick of time.

Quickly calling up his powers, he immediately sent to telekinetic cages out to ensnare the two fighters. Both men caught, they were helpless against Sylar. Whist, however, was grinning like a fiend. Quirking an eyebrow, Sylar asked, "What the hell are you smiling about? I've won. And after the swordsman there kills Roku, he'll kill you." That sick grin was firmly back in place on Sylar's face. Zoro was gritting his teeth, trying with minimal success to break the telekinetic barrier that had him trapped.

Whist's reply was short and to the point, "I have a dog." And suddenly, Blink had his mouth clamped down on Sylar's left arm, breaking his concentration fully with a white-hot injection of OW! Zoro wasted no time in sprinting for the downed sociopath, and laying him out with a hard right cross. Blink had since teleported back to Whist's side, tail wagging furiously. Whist was grinning down at the dog.

DbC was also grinning, as he made his way out of a nearby Sweet Factory, a caramel bite in his hand. "Winner is you, Roronoa Zoro, Whist and Blink! Congratulations!"

Whist just laughed, Blink barked happily, and Zoro muttered, "Time for some grog." He then began to walk away.

Before he'd gone two steps, DbC called out, "Roronoa! Why did you agree to a surprise attack? It does go against a swordsman's code."

Halting, Zoro turned back around to answer, not only DbC, but Whist's puzzled look as well, "An attack from behind is a dishonorable thing, yes. But an opponent would have to be extremely naïve, or stupid, not to expect an attack from the front. No matter how or when that attack comes."

Grinning easily, Whist replied, "Well, you got that right! So, drinks eh? I could use a beer myself!"

Scowling, Zoro replied with more of a growl than a sentence, "You weren't invited!"

Laughing it off, Whist threw his arm around Zoro's shoulders, "You don't have to invite me, buddy! It goes without saying that after a victory, a drink or three between the victors must be shared." _Plus, I could really use some time away from Li'ain._

So Whist chattered amiably, laughing all the while, and Zoro grumbled discontentedly, scowling all the while. Blink, wise as he was, rubbed against Zoro's leg on their way to the bar, earning him some grudging pats, and a little mollified swordsman. _Humans. So easy._


	4. Round 4

For the first time since he'd fought Hawk-Eyes Mihawk, Zoro was unhappy with the outcome of a fight. He wasn't blaming Whist, or Sylar and Roku, or even himself, if it came to that. He'd been legitimately outclassed by his opponent, completely taken in by the other man's sheer power. Not even Mihawk had brought that response out in him! Zoro knew what Mihawk's strength was about, where it came from and what he had to do to get past that point. To be better than the man he fought. Avatar Roku… he didn't even know where to begin! He didn't know how to manipulate the elements, and honestly didn't want to. He hadn't ever relied on any strength but his own, and was loath to eat a devil fruit for that reason. He'd beaten enough of them that he really didn't believe it was necessary.

Gritting his teeth at his own frustration, the marimo-haired swordsman was surprised to hear an unfamiliar voice at his side, "Hey man, you shouldn't make such a frightening face! You might start scaring people." Zoro turned his head in surprise, finding a pair of warm brown eyes looking back at him. The man that had interrupted his inner fuming was dressed oddly in Zoro's opinion, but then again, so was everyone else here. He had a pair of brown shorts under his white tee and green vest, with fingerless black gloves and tennis shoes.

Raising an annoyed eyebrow, Zoro asked with a frown, "Maybe that's how I get time to think. Name's Roronoa Zoro, and you are?"

The other man smiled cheerfully and said in a voice to match his sunny disposition, "Oh, I know all about you, mister tournament fighter! My name's Amano Ginji. Nice ta meet ya! So what's got ya so grim?"

Frowning in earnest now at this nosy, chipper young man, Zoro responded, "It's none of your business. Get lost."

Turning away, Zoro wasn't quick enough to escape one last remark, "Is it 'cause you lost to that Roku guy?" Any other comment Zoro would have been able to blow off, but this Ginji had just cut to the very heart of the matter.

Turning back much more quickly than he'd turned away, Zoro hit the young man with one of his patented Death Glares. When it seemed to have no effect at all, Zoro simply shouted at him, "It's none of your damned business!"

Still unaffected by the marimo's anger, Ginji continued blithely on, "Everyone loses a fight eventually, you know. It's not the end of the world! Besides, the only person I've ever lost to ended up becoming my best friend. Maybe you should try and become friends with Roku!" At the end, Ginji pounded his fist into an open palm, as if he'd sprung upon an unsuspecting good idea.

Zoro now had a vein bulging above his eye, and it was all he could do not to draw his swords and attack this ridiculously cheerful, annoyingly innocent excuse for a fanboy. Before Zoro could calm down enough to form a coherent response, another unfamiliar voice called out the blonde's name, "Oi, Ginji! What the hell! We've got a job to do, and you're pestering some stranger?"

Looking sharply over at the new idiot (since he'd apparently hired the other idiot), Zoro thought he was looking at a giant sea urchin. On closer inspection, he could discern where the urchin-like hair ended and the human began. This new arrival had a pair of purple, round rimmed sunglasses on over his purple eyes, with a white button up shirt and blue jeans. Before more could be said, Zoro bit out to the new arrival, "Keep this pest outta my hair, or I'll put him in the hospital." With that, Zoro turned back around and stormed off, looking for his idiot of a captain.

Somewhat startled that a stranger had threatened to put his business partner on a stretcher, urchin-head turned to Ginji and asked, "What was that about? You electrocute him or something?"

Turning a horrified look on his partner, Ginji replied, "No way, Ban! You know I'd never do something like that to someone I've never met! Or who hasn't tried to kill me…" Ginji trailed off with a sheepish look.

Putting the blonde idiot and his senseless, uninformed ramblings out of his mind, Zoro continued to look for his captain. As usual, he had no idea where he was, or how to get to where he needed to go. Fortunately for him, neither did Luffy, and in one of the cosmos' twisted laws of nature, both nonexistent senses of direction cancelled out.

"Oi, Zoro! There you are. Let's go eat! I'm starved." This, of course, was Monkey D. Luffy, captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, a crew worth over six hundred million beri.

"We can go eat after the fight. We were paired off this time, so get ready." Zoro had by this time took his bandana off his arm, and begun tying it around his head.

Luffy had a confused look on his face for a minute, then laughed and said, "Ah, forget that, I forfeit! No way would I fight my own nakama—"

This was rudely interrupted by a loud shout from Zoro, "We have to fight, Luffy! This is a tournament, and we both entered knowing this could happen. Now get ready!" Zoro then drew his swords, placing one in his mouth and holding the other two in his hands, taking the beginning stance of Santouryu.

Still chuckling, Luffy turned away, and replied, "I already said I'm not fighting my nakama! Now come on, I'm hungry."

"Luffy." The Captain stopped at the serious tone in his first mate's voice, "I refuse to be a part of a pirate crew whose captain is afraid to fight."

Slowly turning sideways, Luffy stared at Zoro seriously, "So, if I don't fight you, you won't be a member of my crew?"

"No. If you don't _beat_ me, I won't be a member of your crew." Of course, Zoro didn't have any real intention of leaving the mugiwara no kaizoku, but he knew Luffy would never get serious with him if nothing was on the line. And Zoro took every fight seriously.

"Fine, no messing around then." Squatting down in a sumo stance which alarmed Zoro, the rubber man shouted, "GEAR SECOND!"

Zoro was instantly on the defensive, unable to get a counterattack in because of his captain's blinding speed. Zoro didn't think Luffy would go straight into gear second! Zoro's captain was going all out this early in the fight, and the swordsman knew that one wrong move—

Would send him flying into a wall, which is exactly where he found himself. Picking himself back up with a grunt, he was totally unprepared for the attack right in front of him, "Jet Bazooka!" Wide eyed and unable to dodge, Zoro tried to bring his swords to bear on the attack. _Shit, not gonna make it!_ Indeed, he hadn't made the block, and was sent even further into the wall before coming out the other side. Flipping in midair, Zoro landed lightly on his feet, waiting for his captain to come after him.

It didn't take long for Luffy to do just that, blowing out the hole he'd pushed Zoro through only seconds earlier. The first mate had expected nothing less of his captain, and was prepared. "Santouryu: Gazama Dori." His swords all held parallel to that point, were brought together quickly in a guillotine type attack, trapping Luffy's arms. Zoro had been careful not to cut them off, but still left deep gashes. Just to fire him up a little more, Zoro said calmly, "There go your arms, taichou."

Growling, Luffy sent his right leg in with a shout of, "Jet Yari!" The attack hit even with Zoro's attempt to dodge, and he was sent straight down to the ground. Picking himself up to his hands and knees, he looked up when he heard, "Jet Gatling!" from right overhead. Once again, with no time to dodge, he was beaten into the ground with hundreds of hits all over his body.

Breathing heavily at the end of his attack, and sick to his stomach after a fight with his oldest crewmember, Luffy let his Gear Second transformation go. He knew Zoro as well as anyone, and didn't think he'd be getting up after that attack. That's probably why, when Zoro laboriously picked himself up a moment later, Strawhat Luffy was too surprised to move. "Gear Second still takes too much out of you. Your attacks were getting weaker after the second hit."

Gritting his teeth, Luffy adamantly replied, "I don't care! I'm gonna beat you!"

Moving into his stance, Zoro only waited for his captain to strike first. _If he tries one of his Gears again, I won't be caught unawares. I'll attack during the transformation._

Fortunately, Luffy didn't have the energy to go that far, choosing a more beatable attack, "Gomu Gomu no Rifle!"

Zoro's counter was one of his most powerful attacks, and completely overwhelmed his captain's rifle, "Santouryu: Hachi-hyaku pound hou!"

When the dust cleared, both men were still standing, though they now were at about the same level of damage. The 108 pound cannon had knocked Luffy's own attack back at him, before hitting him squarely. But he wasn't down, and he wasn't out, and Zoro didn't want to kill him. So what now? Gritting his teeth in frustration, the swordsman decided to simply cut until Luffy fell. He wouldn't lose here! He'd face Roku again, and next time he wouldn't fall!

With a whirlwind of ferocity, Zoro launched a dizzyingly fast, powerful flurry of blows that Luffy couldn't dodge, and couldn't block with rubbery flesh. So he did the only thing he could do in such a situation: he fought back. Everything he had left, the captain of the mugiwara no kaizoku put into this last exchange of blows. It seemed an even match, at first, if blades and fists can ever be considered even. Eventually the blood loss and pain of the attack simply got the better of Luffy, and with a final double slash to the chest, he was down.

Zoro stood in aftermath, still looking like he'd just finished the fight, breathing heavily. He'd never gone that far with Luffy before! _If it hadn't been for the captain's own attack being launched back at him, I might have lost!_ That was the last thing Zoro thought before he, too, passed out.

DbC, the confectionary host of the tournament, stepped out from the shadows a moment later, followed by one of his few 'little helpers'. Smiling evilly, which is the only way he ever really smiled, he said lightly, "Well, winner is Zoro, it seems. Did you even need to help, Magneto?"

The master of magnetism looked at his current co-conspirator and replied in clipped tones, "No, it was not necessary. If it were a battle of fists, I believe Luffy could beat just about anyone. However, the fact that the only way he can truly be hurt is slashing or piercing is just unlucky. He'll always be weak against such things."

Thinking for a moment, DbC said ponderingly, "Hm, I wonder about that… He was intuitive enough to create two different modes of fighting, past his normal style. I wonder if another is in the works, being unlocked by that simplistic brain of his?"

Glancing over, Magneto had to think on that for a moment before making his own reply, "Regardless, it's not something that matters any more. This fight is over."

Shrugging hi thoughts away for the moment, the demon said in a more jovial tone, "Very true! Let's get these two brute into the medical center, and see what the rest of this round has to offer!"

Monkey D. Luffy, when he woke up, saw only one thing: his former first mate standing across from him against a wall, staring intently in his direction. Before Luffy could even say anything, Zoro beat him to it, "I lied. I have no intention of leaving this crew, whether or not I can beat my captain in a fight. If we fought again, it'd probably got the other way, anyhow." His peace said, Zoro moved to open the door and leave.

Luffy was, for a brief moment, overcome with relief. That was quickly replaced by a mix of confusion and anger, "Wait a damn minute! Why the hell would you even say something like that in the first place?!" The pirate captain was heated, and wanted an answer now!

For a moment, it seemed like Zoro wasn't going to answer, then he turned and replied coldly, "It was the only way I could get you to fight, much less fight seriously. What would it look like if one of us took a victory with no fighting? We'd be a laughingstock, a couple of fucking weaklings! Neither of us are, and I refuse for anyone to see us as such!" stunned by this exclamation, Luffy didn't even notice Zoro leave this time.

Weaklings? Of course they weren't weak! And so what if people thought that? Since when had anyone in his crew cared! Luffy himself sure as hell didn't! _What a dumb reason, _thought the three hundred million dollar man.

Luffy looked up again when the door opened, only to reveal one person whose intellect he valued above anything else: Nico Robin. Smiling his usual grin, Luffy greeted her enthusiastically, "Hey, Robin! Did ya bring me any meat?"

Tittering slightly, Robin replied easily, "Sorry, captain, but no. I brought you something else."

Curious now, Luffy asked excitedly, "WHAT!? What's the mystery gift! Tell me, tell me!"

Laughing slightly harder this time, Robin nonetheless managed an eloquent explanation, "Zoro made you fight for the reasons he told you, that's true. But, he also did it for you specifically. There are people in this tournament who I believe wouldn't hesitate to kill an opponent they thought of as weak, if they thought they could get away with it. And no offense captain, but you are a very trusting individual."

Pondering this for a moment (something seen about as often as, say, an eclipse), Luffy replied slowly, "So, Zoro got me riled up so no one would try anything?"

Nodding, Robin affirmed that statement, "Yes, to put it simply."

Smiling slightly to himself outside Luffy's door, Zoro thought smugly, _You're not the only one who can eavesdrop, woman._ Walking away slowly, Zoro yawned, vowing to find a nice place to take a nap. "Troublesome woman."


End file.
